The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VIII. Whiting-Scholarly Translator of New Testament

One more editor must suffice-NATHAN(IEL) N. WHITING, D.D. (1794-1872), an eminent and accomplished Baptist scholar, then becoming a Millerite lecturer, author, and editor. He was born in Massachusetts and was graduated in 1815 from Union College, Dutch Reformed institution at Schenectady, New York. His training at Union was during the favored period when the noted educator, Eliphalet Nott, was president, who exerted a profound influence upon his students. In fact, a surprising number later became founders or presidents of colleges, or educators or statesmen. Whiting became an able linguist. By 1819 he had become the principal of the Schenectady Academy, and later received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. PFF4 638.2

In 1823 he was pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church of Princeton, near Schenectady, New York. Subsequently he accepted the Biblical principle of baptism by immersion, and was baptized and received into the Baptist faith, becoming first pastor of the First Baptist Church of Schenectady. After that he served as second pastor of the Burnt Hills, New York, Jiaptist Church. PFF4 639.1

Whiting was chairman of the nominating committee of twelve (including William Lloyd Garrison) which called into being the World Convention on Human Rights at Himes’s Chardon Street Chapel, Boston, May 26, 1841-Himes having joined Miller the year before in heralding the second advent. And from 1842 onward Whiting accepted and taught the second advent, likewise identifying himself with the Millerite movement. He had exceptional ability in several languages, especially in Greek and Hebrew, and translated a superior version of the New Testament. One of his advent tracts was in French, La voix des ecritures saintes touchant I’avenment de notre signeur Jesus-Christ (The Voice of the Holy Scriptures Touching the Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ). PFF4 639.2

Among the numerous treatises comprising the Second Advent Library was one by Whiting (No. XLII, issued March 1, 1844) on the Origin, Nature, and Influence of Neology-the German school of rationalistic theology of the time, which definitely rejected the second advent hope. Many in America who had opposed the advent emphasis had swung over to similar views—hence the tractate. By such critics high literary qualification was stressed as needful for the gospel ministry, while other vital matters had scant attention. Such Neology emphasis was influenced by French skepticism. As to prophecy, Eichorn (d. 1827), noted German rationalist, had contended that it was merely poetic fiction and that the Little Horn was simply Antiochus Epiphanes. Daniel 9 became a rock of offense. Other German “Neologists,” such as Bertholdt, Block, and Herzig, affected American theological thought, influencing such scholars as Moses Stuart, Nathaniel Colver, and John Dowling, who wrote vigorously against the Millerite positions. PFF4 639.3

As noted, “Professor Whiting” (as he was constantly designated), ²¹ was a man of large experience, thorough education, and extensive training in various languages. He was an able thinker and trenchant writer of the scholarly type. He contributed various articles of importance to the different Millerite periodicals. One, appearing in the May, 1844, Advent Shield quarterly, on “Prophetic Chronology,” was particularly full and able. He was a frequent contributor to the Midnight Cry, of New York City, afterward becoming its editor, under its later name, The Morning Watch. PFF4 640.1

Under the pen name of “Philo,” Whiting answered critics of the Adventist view, with skilled recourse to the Hebrew and Greek originals. ²² He also entered into learned discussions on the “Jewish Calendar”—the time of the beginning of the Jewish sacred year/the rabbinical calendation in contradistinction to the restoration of the Mosaic calendation by the Karaites (Caraites), and the common celebration of the Passover a month early, ²³ as will soon be noted. PFF4 640.2

Identification of “Philo,” as Whiting’s pen name, comes out in a letter to two physicians who had heard that Whiting had embraced the second advent doctrine, and the great prophetic outlines of the four empires of Daniel 2 and 7, with the 2300 days as years. In response Whiting says: “Yes, the four world powers were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, the Little Horn the antichristian power,” a day stands for a year in time prophecy, with the joint beginning of the 70 weeks of years and the 2300 year-days from 457 B.C., the seventh year of Artaxerxes. And he believes in the imminence of the end, but not the month, week, day, or hour of our Lord’s return. ²⁴ PFF4 640.3

Whiting was a man of exceptional learning, and made his translation of the New Testament under the auspices of the Baptist denomination. ²⁵ This Whiting translation of the New Testament-similar to our Weymouth, Moffatt, or Goodspeed today—was titled The Good News of Our Lord Jesus, the Anointed; from the Critical Greek Text of Tittman, first published in 1842. In the Preface five guiding principles are enumerated. And a series of “New Translations of the Apocalypse” (based on Revised Greek Text of G. C. Knapp), ²⁶ also by Whiting appear in the Morning Watch from March 27, 1845, onward. PFF4 641.1

Early in January, 1843, we find Whiting lecturing to “crowded houses” on the prophecies of Daniel in the “Baptist Tabernacle,” on Mulberry Street, in New York City, the notice in the Millerite Midnight Cry referring to him as “an eminent Hebrew scholar.” ²⁷ By January 20 he was still lecturing there to “very large audiences,” emphasizing the approaching end of the 2300 years in “1843.” His lectures were still continuing at the beginning of 1844. ²⁸ PFF4 641.2

Whiting was thus one of several prominent Millerite leaders—such as Henry Dana Ward and Henry Jones, already noticed—who never shared the “definite time” view of his associates. ²⁹ But he was, nevertheless, a most efficient herald of the general proclamation of the advent near. He took his stand with the Millerites in opposition to the postmillennialism 6th the day. Despite the first disappointment, in the spring of 1844, so strong were Whiting’s convictions as to the soundness of the truth of the imminent advent that he contended that “if every Adventist connected with the cause should abandon it tomorrow, God would raise up new instruments to sustain and carry it forward.” ³⁰ PFF4 641.3